Is NAMSS' management firm, Smithbucklin, driving the recommendation to move to a selection process for the Secretary-Treasurer?
No. Our Smithbucklin team works FOR the Board of Directors and supports the Board’s objectives and goals for NAMSS. Our Executive Director sits on the Board but does not have a vote. The Smithbucklin team shares best practice recommendations and manages NAMSS operations, but the Board is the ultimate decision-maker for NAMSS. The Succession Planning Task Force made this recommendation, and it was approved by the Board of Directors.
Is NAMSS' management firm driving NAMSS toward a for-profit management model?
NAMSS is a 501(c)6 organization, and that has not changed, nor will it. Any profit received annually is reinvested in programs and services to benefit the membership or moved into investments to ensure NAMSS’ long-term financial health.
For the past three years, NAMSS has budgeted for 6-figure financial losses to keep costs down for members while investing in important initiatives. Our costs have increased 44% since 2020 due to inflation and the continued rising costs of hosting in-person meetings, while member dues have increased 16% in this time (an average of 3% per year). In addition, we’ve added several member benefits, including free monthly webinars for members, the NAMSS Connection Zone, the NAMSS Mentor-Matching program, and an increased quantity of articles on Gateway. NAMSS works hard to mitigate cost increases for our members, but we must also ensure our longevity and continue to invest in important activities as driven by our Strategic Plan.
An example of recent investments include:
Has the NAMSS Board of Directors considered how to be more transparent to the membership?
The Board of Directors is focused on transparency, and we will continue to explore ways to share information and explain our decisions. In 2025, we look forward to instituting regular Town Hall webinars and a membership meeting at the Annual Conference. We also encourage you to reach out to us at any time if you have questions, concerns, or recommendations. All Board member contact information is available on the NAMSS website.
Why aren't more people voting in the elections, and what will NAMSS be doing to encourage more engagement in the future?
The NAMSS board has had many discussions about this issue, and we share our members’ concerns about low voting engagement. We are taking the following additional actions, based on feedback, to ensure our members have an awareness of any upcoming elections requiring a vote.
- Notice of the election will be sent in advance via email and posted on the NAMSS website homepage, Connection Zone, and on our social media channels. This will allow members to ensure they’re receiving our emails and remedy the issue if they are not receiving emails. We’ll also use these channels to remind members of approaching deadlines.
- Ahead of each Board of Directors election, we’ll host a town hall meeting for members to meet the candidates.
- We’ll ask our state leaders to send election reminder emails to their members.
- We welcome your additional ideas and suggestions.
How can members remain engaged and help decide who will be NAMSS's future leaders?
Get involved! Consider applying for a committee or Director at Large position. Please participate in surveys and share your honest feedback. Please feel free to reach out to any member of the Board. Contact information can be found on the NAMSS website. And please be sure to vote in elections.
Return to NAMSS Proposed Bylaws Changes